Buyer - Sports Apparel Dubai

GMG is a global well-being company retailing, distributing and manufacturing a portfolio of leading international and home‑grown brands across sport, everyday goods, health and beauty, properties and logistics sectors. Under the ownership and management of the Baker family for over 45 years, GMG is a valued partner of choice for the world's most successful and respected brands in the well‑being sector.

Working across the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, GMG has introduced more than 120 brands across 12 countries. These include notable home‑grown brands such as Sun & Sand Sports, Dropkick, Supercare Pharmacy, Farm Fresh, Klassic, and international brands like Nike, Columbia, Converse, Timberland, Vans, Mama Sita's, and McCain.

About the role

Support the Category Manager by selecting and delivering balanced, coordinated product ranges as per the strategic buying plans for the category. A product specialist leading consumer right assortments, managing budgets, analyzing product performance in detail and successfully managing execution across all relevant market places. Working alongside category manager influencing product and category strategies, thereby objectively and efficiently maximizing sales and sell‑through.

Accountabilities

Assortment Building / Range Planning

• Drive assortments and range plans, adopting category strategies each season
• Maintain clear customer and Middle East market understanding and trends.
• Align assortment towards overall Category Manager’s product strategy and financial objectives / KPI’s.
• Maximize adoption rate from the brands whilst satisfying product presentation guidelines and store capacities (width and depth). Identify and initiate strategic opportunities within portfolio.

OTB Management and Order Placement

• Validating OTB each season for category portfolio working closely with planning team.
• Utilizing Category and Store-wise OTB in optimal mix to support sales strategy. Responsible for all order uploads within category portfolio each season within timelines

Reporting / Financial Analysis

• Review Sales for each season, sale trends, and track performance of category.
• Analyse key performing product areas based on sell through.
• Report on product performance across regions and feedback to Category Sales Managers (CSM) after completion of each season. Using size curve analysis highlight and implement opportunities to refine.

Distribution

• Applying business and category strategy to create distribution plan to support sell-through and sales targets.
• Understanding distribution and allocation methodology for different product types.
• Local Vendor management and order tracking (eg SPID) Support Merchandise planner and operations team with focused product feedback.

Marketing and Product Presentation

• Drive module plan discussions with VMs to ensure quality product presentations across stores, across all regions.
• Plan and liaise each season with RBM team to guarantee marketing support on door level and track product deliveries with merchandise planner

Store Visits

• Visit stores to review execution of strategy at door level.
• Highlight opportunities to elevate sales and offer support to store operations team.
• Ensure visual merchandising and RBM elements executed as per plan. Quarterly outstation exposure.

Support Category Manager

• Provide reports and insight into business opportunities.
• Data analysis and preparation of range and distribution plans.

Inventory Management

• Liaising with Category team, VM, ASM and Marketing
• Ownership of total stock on hand within category portfolio.
• Responsible for controlling stock levels, maintaining healthy week covers in relation to KPIs (ITR etc) for category portfolio.
• Plan clear markdown strategy for category portfolio, whether it is end of season sale or implementing in‑season tactics, maintaining profitability and ASP KPI, not impacting brand presence in the marketplace. Analysing category SKU efficiency across regions and incorporating key learning in to buys.

Competitor / Market Research

• Be fully up to date on competitor’s position across the GCC in terms of product offering, price points, marketing implementations and product presentation.
• Provide Category Manager with monthly reports on competitor’s products and pricing strategies, to offer insights to CSMs identifying areas for more commercial opportunities, for example scope for greater margins in certain articles/products successfully achieving set GMROI KPIs.

About the requirements

• 5+ Years Working experience in retail environment, buying or planning
• Sporting Goods experience preferable

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